The Chinese
Type 53 Mosin Nagant Carbine

Text: Brent Snodgrass

Photos: David F, Vic
T, Stan "The Man", and Tuco

Introduction

The Chinese Type 53
Carbine is one of the more interesting of the Model
1944 Carbine clones; however, the Type 53 has never
been sought out on a wide scale by Mosin Nagant collectors.
The main reason for this folly is the false notion
that the Type 53 is of inferior quality when compared
to its counterparts. Nothing could be further from
the truth, but this very common opinion still seems
to dominate collectors circles. The quality in manufacture
of the Type 53 is quite high and the Type 53's place
in history rivals any of the Model 1944's. In fact
the combat use of the Type 53 may well be greater
than any of the M44's. This article will be a brief
introduction into the history and production of these
little known and misunderstood carbines.

Need and Production

In the early 1950's
the People's Republic of China decided there was
a need to develop a carbine for issue to the People's
Army. The Chinese looked to their new friends to
the North, the Soviet Union, for assistance in the
matter. As the doctrine of the "Human Wave" was
shared by both nations, a bayonet would be an essential
item on any carbine to be issued. The Soviet Union
of course offered the Model 1944 Carbine as a logical
solution . The Soviets were in production of the
SKS at the time, but they did not want to share this
new development with the Chinese. It is thought that
Soviet machinery was sent to China for commencement
of Type 53 production. The facts also seem to suggest
this was also done in Eastern Europe as the Model
1944 Carbine production also began in Poland, Hungary,
and Romania during the same time frame. The movement
of the Soviet machinery allowed the Chinese to produce
the Type 53 independently, which was important to
both Chinese national pride and the self-sufficiency
of China. This also allowed the Soviets to aid their
Chinese ally without giving away a large amount of
weapons technology.

Early proof
Type 53

Chinese production
of the carbine began in 1953 and the designation
of this new carbine was the Type 53 . The early proofs
on the barrel shank of the Type 53 will have both
Chinese characters and the number 26 or 296. The
Chinese characters translate to " 53 Year Type " and
the 26 or 296 are the stamping of the State Factory
at Chongqing. In many later production Type 53's
the Chinese characters are not present but it is
not known why the characters were dropped. The shank
proofs also became larger in 1960 but again the reason
for this action is not entirely clear.

The production numbers
of the Type 53 Carbine are unknown at this point
and it is doubtful they will be known in the near
future. The closed nature of China and icy relations
with the West have and will prevent the release of
this information. It is assumed that the production
numbers are rather high as the production run did
not end until 1960 or 1961. In his fine book, The
Mosin Nagant Rifle, Terence Lapin raises the possibility
these were produced after 1961 and in fact I do know
of one confirmedVietnam
bringback dated 1961. This carbine had been "jungle" modified
in a number of regards and even had an SKS bayonet
attached. While this does prove that production
was later than 1960 it does not prove when the production
came to an end.

Later Type
53 proof

The Chinese did not
use the large number of stamps on the carbine's metal
as their Soviet allies; however, the Chinese more
than made up for this with the large number of proofs
that appear on most Type 53 stocks. It is not uncommon
to have ten or more various stamps on these stocks.
The wood used on these stocks is not the high quality
as that used in the Soviet carbines; however, the
wood on the Type 53 is quite solid and competent.
The Chinese utilized a local wood that is known as
CHU-wood. The CHU-wood was put to use as it was quite
effective in standing up to so called "Jungle
Rot." The wood was quite proficient in resisting
moisture, so was a perfect choice for the environment
of Asia. The finish of the Chinese stocks are similar
to the M44 clones made in Romania and Hungary, which
is a heavy varnish or shellac in most cases. There
are some Type 53 stocks that have their serial numbers
matched to the carbines, with these numbers appearing
on the left side on the stock. Further there are
some cases in which Chinese characters also cut into
the stock. Some appear to be the work of the soldier
but many are too uniform for this. These uniform
stamps seem to have nationalist writing in every
case. One such stamping that has been seen both on
a Type 53 and a Chinese manufactured SKS loosely
translates to: " I gladly give my life for Chairman
Mao."

The Chairman
Mao stamping from a Chinese SKS

Some of the other
differences that are noticeable in the Type 53 from
the Russian M44 are the bayonet and the cleaning
rod. Although the Type 53 bayonet is almost identical
to the second variation Soviet bayonet, in many cases
there are inspectors proofs marking found. This is
not the case with the M44's made in the Soviet Union
but is common on the M44 clones produced in Hungary.
It is interesting to note that there are verified
Type 53's with no bayonet. These carbines without
bayonets have even been observed with the bayonet
assembly filed down or even removed in some cases.
It is unknown why this was done or who did it. This
bayonet removal does seem to go against the "Human
Wave" doctrine of the People's Army. The cleaning
rod of the Type 53 is a 1/2 inch shorter than those
from the Soviet Union. There is also a slight difference
in the way the cleaning rod is screwed into the carbine
stock. The cleaning rod further differs in that the
head is plain while the Soviet made rods are not.
Many Type 53's found in the US have cleaning rods
that are correct for the Soviet M44 but this was
probably done at the importer. It is also possible
that the cleaning rods of damaged Russian M44's in
Chinese stockpiles were fitted on Type 53's when
the need arose.

History, Issue,
and Use

There is doubt as
to whether the Type 53 saw any action or issue in
the Korean War. It is possible that the Type 53 saw
use but it is doubtful, as the initial production
of the Type 53 was quite close to the end of the
conflict. If there was indeed any use it would have
been on a VERY limited scale. There were M44's in
combat in Korea but it is assumed by most they were
Russian M44 carbines supplied to the People's Army
by the Soviets. It is clear that the Type 53 saw
extensive use in the Vietnam War, as the Chinese
supplied these carbines in large numbers to their
follow communists in North Vietnam. These carbines
were in turn given to the Viet Cong. There was such
wide use of the Chinese carbine in Vietnam that many
of the Type 53's seen in the US are GI bring-backs.
There are rumors that some of these carbines were
scoped with a turned down bolt, but it is likely
that the M91/30 sniper rifle was mistaken for this "sniper
carbine". The Mosin Nagant sniper rifle was
prevalent in its own right in Vietnam, with the Hungarian
manufactured model being encountered in large numbers
as GI bring-backs. The Chinese also sent the Type
53 to allies in Cambodia and other areas in Southeast
Asia during the Vietnam era.

As the People's Republic
of China began production of their own version of
the SKS, the Type 53 lost some of its importance
as a direct issue weapon. The Chinese found themselves
in much the same position the Soviets did in the
early 1950's, as the People's Republic had become
a major power in its own right. The People's Republic
of China now needed to supply arms to the countries
that were under their yoke. The Chinese did not want
to supply these countries with the SKS , so the People's
Republic began to export the Type 53. The Chinese
started their major arms supply operation with the
Type 53. This operation grew into the massive endeavor
that has made the People's Republic one of the largest
arms dealers in the world.

Type 53
sling photo from Stan "The Man"

These are
thinner than the Russian style and are green or brown
in color

There were many areas
that received Type 53's over the years. One of these
areas was the continent of Africa, where Angola in
particular became a major receiver of these carbines.
The Chinese have flooded large areas of Africa with
these carbines and it is still not uncommon to see
the Type 53 in the various African conflicts of today.
The Chinese have also exported these carbines to
Central and South America. It is in Peru that the
Shining Path rebels have benefited from this "generosity" from
Communist China. The Type 53 has also shown up in
the recent fighting in the former Yugoslavia, where
the Kosovo Liberation Army has put a number of these
carbines into service. There are a number of M44's
and M44 clones in this conflict but the Type 53 may
well be the most common encountered. There has also
been reports of US Marines encountering the Type
53 in Grenada. If this rumor is true the likely supplier
would have been Cuba, who has received support from
Communist China for many years. The Chinese are indeed
major players when it comes to supplying arms to
favorable conflicts and "armies".

Conclusion

While the Type 53
has never really caught on in the collecting circles,
there is no fault that can be found in the carbine
itself. The Type 53 will hold its own in quality
with most of the M44 clones, with the possible exception
of the Polish M44. The Russian M44 and the Type 53
are also very close in overall quality, but the Soviet
made carbines may be a bit better in overall fit
and finish. Many US collectors have made the comparison
of the Type 53 to the Chinese made SKS and the MAK
90's v.s. the Soviet made versions of these weapons.
While the Soviet made versions may be a bit better
overall, the Chinese made rifles/carbines are made
to hold up to the rigors of warfare. There may indeed
be a drop off in finish but the Type 53 is no slouch
either. If one can find a Type 53 in VG or better
condition, one will see little difference when compared
to the other M44's. The trick may well be to find
a Type 53 in VG or better condition, as many of these
have seen a lot of use. This use is a testament to
their durability and quality.

The overall accuracy
of the Type 53 is in line with the other M44's on
the market. Some are excellent shooters while some
are truly horrible. This is not just the case with
the Type 53 but all the M44 carbines ( really all
surplus firearms in general ). Because of this it
is impossible to make blanket statements on accuracy.
Maybe the buyer will get lucky and get a "tack-driver" and
maybe the buyer won't. The Type 53, like all the
M44's, are fun to shoot IF one can tolerate a rather
heavy amount of recoil.

The Type 53 may well
be the best bargain of the M44 Carbine types on the
collector's market, as in most case $100 is the high
end of price. It is indeed a lot of carbine for the
money and really belongs in any Mosin Nagant collection.
The black-eye that it has received in many circles
is undeserved and this can work to the collector's
advantage. Ignore the bogus information and the collector
can make out like a bandit.